ARTS OF CONSCIENCE
June 11-16, 2012
A Symposium for Artists interested in Social Change Activism
Laura Barron & Garrett Rubin, Program Organizers
Susan O’Neill & Rena Sharon, Program Advisors
In partnership with the Vancouver-based non-profit Instruments of Change and VanCity Theatre, we invite participants to an intensive 6-day workshop designed for artists from all disciplines and for community members interested in the burgeoning field of Art for Social Change. The course comprises lectures, workshops, forum films, discussions, and group projects. Some events are open to the public, while a central portion of each day is designed for registered participants only.
Each morning features a presentation by a leading arts activist from a different artistic medium. The sessions are open to the public.
Speakers include:
• Judith Marcuse, internationally renowned dancer/choreographer and Director of the International Centre of Art for Social Change at SFU
• Reena Lazar, Executive Director of Peace it Together, a filmmaking program for youth
• Susan Summers, President of the Music Therapy Association of British Columbia (Participation TBD)
• Cyndy Chwelos, Program Director at Moberly Arts and Cultural Centre
• David Diamond, Artistic Director of Headlines Theatre
• Dr. Susan O'Neill, Professor of Music Psychology at SFU and Director of the Research in Youth, Music, and Education Project (RYME)
• Max Wyman, Officer of the Order of Canada, former President of the Canadian Commission to Unesco, author of "The Defiant Imagination - Why Culture Matters."
• Other distinguished speakers and facilitators will be confirmed and posted in the coming weeks.
Throughout each day, registered participants have access to diverse classes and experiential activities, working directly with a variety of community organizations to explore the possibilities for their art practice in the service of social transformation.
Topics include Cultural Diplomacy, Arts in Conflict Prevention, and Arts Therapy. Additional training includes workshops in facilitation skills, incorporating arts for social change curriculi into university settings, and working with trauma populations.
Each evening concludes with a film screening that powerfully illustrates the socially transformative impact of the arts in action. These films are open to the public and include:
• Wasteland, a documentary the three year art project of Vik Muniz with the garbage workers of Brazil.
• Twelve Angry Lebanese, a film about the radical work of Zeina Daccache as she directs a theatre piece with inmates from a high security male prison in Lebanon.
• Favela Rising, following Anderson Sá, a former drug trafficker who establishes the grassroots Afro Reggae movement amongst the youth of the Rio slums.
• Rhythm Is It!!, a movie documenting the empowering work of Berlin Philharmonic in their outreach program which enlisted 250 inner-city German school children to dance with their performance of Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring.
• A selection of student short films from Peace It Together.
Our Evening Speaker and Film Series are Open to the Public (Click here for more details)
Distinguished speakers present a series of evening lectures from 5:30-7 pm
Admission is $5.00 per session at the door
Film screenings each evening, from 8:00 - 10:00 pm, at the VanCity Theatre.
Tickets are $11 at the door, or at http://www.viff.org/theatre
Register for our full retreat program of morning and afternoon sessions
REGISTRATION and COST DETAILSNOTE: Registration is ONLY required for participants of the afternoon sessions: EARLY REGISTRATION DISCOUNT is $250 if you register by April 27, 2012. Participants are responsible for their own meals, accommodations and travel. Auditor fees for single afternoon sessions are available by request, space permitting. |
Interested participants can contact laura@laurabarron.net with questions.
The registration deadline for the full program of events is May 15, 2012.
Please click here for forms.
A $150 deposit is required with registration.
Below is a tentative sample schedule of our activities:
Monday
11:30 - 1 Daily Intro and Facilitation Skills workshop by Sarena Talbot
1-2 pm LUNCH
2-4 pm Group Work (4 groups of 3-4 participants led by facilitators and a representative from a chosen community group)
4 - 5 pm Dialogue with Judith and participants (with prepared questions and knowledge of guests bio)
5-5:30 SHORT BREAK
5:30-7 pm Judith Marcuse’s public talk
7-8 pm DINNER
8-10 pm Film Series: Rhythm Is It!
Tuesday
11:30-1 pm Daily Intro and Workshop on Integrating Arts for Social Change Curriculum into University Settings by Garrett Rubin
1-2 pm LUNCH
2-4 pm Group Work
4-5 pm Dialogue with Cyndy and participants
5 - 5:30 pm SHORT BREAK
5:30-7 pm Cyndy Chwelos public talk
7-8 pm DINNER
8-10 pm Film Series: Wasteland
Wednesday
11:30 - 1 pm Daily Intro and Trauma Sensitivity Skills workshop by Sarah Holmes de Castro
1-2 pm LUNCH
2-4 pm Group Field Trip with Susan Summers
4-5 pm Dialogue with Rena and participants
5 - 5:30 pm SHORT BREAK
5:30-7 pm Reena Lazar’s public talk
7-8 pm DINNER
8-10 pm Film Series: Peace It Together short films
Thursday
11:30-1 pm Morning Activity TBA
1- 2 pm LUNCH
2-4 pm Group Work
4-5 pm Discourse with David and participants
5 - 5:30 pm SHORT BREAK
5:30-7 pm David Diamond public talk
7-8 pm DINNER
8-10 pm Film Series: Twelve Angry Lebanese
Friday
11:30 - 1 pm Panel with community leaders who employ Arts of Social Change initiatives
1-2 pm LUNCH with panelists and workshop participants
2-4 pm Group Work – (participants prepare final presentations with feedback from community group representative)
4-5 pm Dialogue with Susan and participants
5 - 5:30 pm SHORT BREAK
5:30-7 pm Susan O’Neill public talk
7-8 pm DINNER
8-10 pm Film Series: Favela Rising
Saturday
10 am-1 pm Final group presentations & Debrief
Workshops and films will be presented
at a variety of centrally-located Vancouver venues.
Programs